Consultant anaesthetist Stuart Hargrave, who works at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, has the superbug but has been cleared to continue working by bosses.

He is receiving treatment for the bug, which is resistant to antibiotics.

The infection was identified last week when staff in the hospital's Leazes Wing were screened.

Hospital bosses said there is no risk to patients, infection control measures have been taken and Dr Hargrave, of Gosforth, can continue to work during his treatment.

But Kay Parsons, 33, of Ashington, Northumberland who lost her father-in-law Tony Miller to the superbug last year, said: "It's hard enough to get rid of MRSA without risking spreading it more by having doctors with it as well.

"I don't think he should be working even if they are taking measures to protect him, it can't make patients feel very good about things.

"My husband was robbed of his dad and our three children were robbed of their grandad because of MRSA."

Tony Field, chairman of the MRSA Support Group, himself an MRSA sufferer, added: "Until this doctor is proved clear, he should not be carrying on with operations. It is encouraging the hospital are testing their staff, in fact the RVI are better that a lot of other hospitals.

"But even though he'll be wearing a face mask, he should be stopped from operations until he gets rid of the bug, especially if he's working with high-risk patients like burns victims.

In a statement Newcastle Hospitals Trust said: "A member of staff was found to be MRSA positive on routine screening and was therefore undergoing eradication therapy. The infection control doctors gave approval to work in the clinical setting, providing necessary precautions were strictly adhered to, and these were."

Dr Hargrave said he was unable to comment on the matter.

Figures published earlier this year showed reports of the potentially fatal MRSA have risen by 15% in Northumberland and Tyne & Wear, compared with an average of 3.6% nationally.

However, actual levels of MRSA remain the lowest in the country, with just 305 cases reported last year, compared with thousands elsewhere.

And infection control teams have been appointed at all hospital trusts in the region to help improve hygiene and minimise spread of the infection.

Common Germ

Mrsa stands for methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus.

It is a variety of a common germ called staphylococcus aureus that has become resistant to some antibiotics.

This germ lives harmlessly on the skin and in the nose of about one third of people but can cause abscesses and boils, and it can infect wounds.

People with weakened immune systems or with deliberate wounds for drips or surgery are more vulnerable to the bug.

The local infection can then spread into the blood and cause serious infections such as septicaemia, (blood poisoning).